


When the Day Met the Night

by Grandma_Wolf



Category: Naruto, Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series)
Genre: Crossover, Don't worry, M/M, Pokemon AU, Slow Burn, but i'll tag it anyway, but nowhere near as much of a slow burn as 'Rapacious', different interpretations of the Pokemon Universe, just to make it more inclusive to people, not sure if this counts as a crossover, the explicit rating is more of a safeguard for future sex times
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-27
Updated: 2017-04-10
Packaged: 2018-09-02 16:47:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 16,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8675107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Grandma_Wolf/pseuds/Grandma_Wolf
Summary: Itachi Uchiha knows his home region of Kanto inside and out and he sees himself as quite an accomplished trainer, despite his career path leading him more into research. However, when his employer begs him to travel to a region once lost to the rest of the world, what adventures await him? Especially being dragged around by his host, the eccentric yet excitable Assistant Professor Hoshigaki? A story of broadening one's horizons, meeting new people, and coming to terms with one's ambitions and skill level.





	1. The Journey Begins - Professor Hoshigaki Appears!

**Author's Note:**

> Here it is! The Pokemon AU that I've been wanting to write since Pokemon Sun and Moon were initially being teased! And the very same Pokemon AU that I haven't been able to shut up about over on my fanfiction tumblr (for those of you who follow me there). 
> 
> Now, don't worry: strangers to the franchise of adorable, violent creatures can still read this fic. I solemnly swear to make it as approachable as possible (with picture links of any Pokemon that's mentioned)
> 
> Edit: Would you all believe that I forgot to write in the credit for 'Uchiha Clan Members All Use Vulpix/Ninetales' idea? I'm such a heel. That idea was brought forth by the wonderful marmaladeisanarutard over at tumblr. Go check out their blog for wonderful AUs and snippets for all things 'excellent characters in Naruto who were ultimately screwed over by Kishimoto's writing'.

_I died once._

_A dreadful experience, I would highly recommend against it._

_I mean, one could even say that the entire experience drove me a bit... Batty._

_…_

_…_

_Come on, you're not even going to give me a chuckle? I'm giving you some of my best material here! Oh. Oh, I see._

_Mm... I'm already spread fairly thin. Yet again... this body hasn't done much for me. Yes, perhaps... Let's see if I can fix our current predicament. After all..._

_It's much easier to laugh if you can breathe._

* * *

 

The morning sun was just beginning to peek over the tallest trees of the city where the vast array of hues from a rainbow's spectrum have come together to bless a vast array of people: Celadon. The breeze that danced through the fruit and cherry blossom trees that decorated this fragrant city was sweet and gentle. But it would be quite the mistake to let the peaceful atmosphere lead you astray.

There were thorns in these fields of flowers, a great cluster of them bearing down in a certain building on the western end of the city.

It bore the architecture of the ancient palaces of the East, cherry blossom trees framing the stone pathway that led up to the large wooden doors.

The doors themselves bore engravings of a red and white fan: the symbol of both the badge one could hope to earn from this esteemed gym by proving one's worth and intelligence, as well as the symbol of the clan who owned this prestigious building.

* * *

 

Inside of the gym were a dozen and more rooms on the second floor, the living floor, with the main hall on the first floor bearing the small arena. One one side of it was a small pond, [Goldeen](http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/thumb/7/7b/118Goldeen.png/600px-118Goldeen.png) and the rare [Seaking](http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/thumb/6/6a/119Seaking.png/600px-119Seaking.png) swimming about: their gorgeous tails dancing in the water.

On the other side of the arena drawn in chalk were two wooden benches. Sitting on one of them was the leader of the Scarlet Fan Gym, Fugaku Uchiha.

The man had been an experienced trainer in his younger days, but had settled down with his wife and built this gym with the help of his family prestige and his own earnings from battles.

Right now, he was watching as one of his assistant trainers handled one of the day's challengers. He sighed, rubbing at his chin. He remembered those days: when he headed out on his own journey of maturation and self-discovery with a loyal Pokemon at his side. Fugaku looked to his side to see his lifetime companion: a [Ninetales](http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/thumb/0/05/038Ninetales.png/600px-038Ninetales.png) with his sleek cream and orange fur brushed to a smooth shine, nine blooming tails swaying behind him where he sat next to his master.

Both master and Pokemon looked out at the arena just in time to see the challenging trainer call out an order to their Pokemon: a drooling [Gloom](http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/thumb/2/2a/044Gloom.png/600px-044Gloom.png). “Alright, hit 'em with Poison Powder!”

The plant-like creature shook the bud on top of its head, releasing a cloud of purple powder towards its opponent, a young auburn and orange fox-pokemon.

“[Vulpix](http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/thumb/6/60/037Vulpix.png/600px-037Vulpix.png)!” The assistant trainer called out, “Use Ember to burn that poison away!” The Vulpix yipped in response, opening its mouth to release a small burst of flame. The fire caught the powder, igniting it and causing the Gloom to falter back. “Follow it up with Take Down!”

Before the challenger and their Pokemon could react, the Vulpix broke through the smoke and embers and rammed itself into the Gloom at full-force. The momentum carried both of them into the far left wall, the Vulpix falling down and shaking itself clear from the shock of impact. But the Gloom was completely knocked out: the heat and the force being too much for it.

“The match is over!” From one side of the arena, Mikoto Uchiha raised her hand and announced, “The Victory goes to Shisui and his Vulpix!”

The challenging trainer ran over to make sure their Gloom was okay while Shisui turned back to Fugaku. “Well, Uncle? How was that?”

Fugaku folded his arms and closed his eyes. “You're still far too impulsive. Being quick to think is one thing, but that Poison Powder could have caused serious harm if even a small portion hadn't caught fire.”

His Ninetales nodded in agreement.

“Fugaku, don't be so harsh on him.” Mikoto berated her husband as she walked over, a Ninetales of her own following with dainty steps. When they were close enough, both Ninetales met each other and nuzzled a bit before looking up to see the other trainers who wanted to challenge the gym that day. However... “Alright, alright...” Mikoto slowly began to usher the group of young challengers out of the door, “We're closing early today, so I'm afraid you'll have to make another attempt tomorrow.”

“What?” Some of the teens groaned, others grumbling about how lame it all was. “Come on, _why_?” Before they got to the door, it opened up, revealing a young man dressed for travel but not looking too happy about the long trip if the frown on his face was any indication.

“That's part of the reason.” Mikoto saw the trainers off before hugging the young man tight, “Sasuke, you made it just in time.”

“Hey mom.” Sasuke welcomed the hug, stepping back when his mother let go. He removed his cap and hung it from a hook in the wall. “Where's dad?”

“He's overseeing cleanup from today's gym challenges.” Mikoto explained, looking back to where Fugaku was redrawing the chalk lines of the arena while Shisui and other assistant trainers were pruning flowers and tending to the Seaking and Goldeen. “How was your trip, honey?”

“Not bad, I guess.” Sasuke reached into his travel bag and pulled out a Pokeball. Tossing it away a few feet, it opened up and, in a flash of light, a large creature appeared. It was a large, fox-like creature that stood on its hind legs. Its fur was made of layers of red and black with a flowing red mane falling down its back, tied off with a lone blue bead. When it got its bearings, it scratched at its cheek with one of its large red claws before turning and letting out a bark. “Shinobi's probably the one who got the worst of it.” Sasuke hummed.

Mikoto took a few steps towards the [Zoroark](http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/thumb/a/a6/571Zoroark.png/600px-571Zoroark.png) known as 'Shinobi', her son's favored Pokemon and, when it seemed like it was calm, she scratched it behind one of its ears. “I sometimes wish you had taken a Vulpix like your brother, but if you did I never would have seen this stunning creature.”

“Speaking of Itachi,” Sasuke said, snapping his fingers so Shinobi walked over to his side, “Where is he?” The main reason why Sasuke had flown in from where he was studying in the Sinnoh region was because his mother had told him that the immediate family would be getting together for something important. The fact that his older brother had yet to arrive was worrying.

“Your brother probably decided to fly over here.” Mikoto offered, “He's been spending most of his time closer to his work in Pallet Town in the Research Lab there, after all.”

* * *

 

In the skies above Celadon, a large bird Pokemon soared through the clear skies. It was similar to a raven but _much_ larger with white feathers upon its breast and a crown of feathers that held the shape of a formal hat. It cawed out, its passenger peeking over its shoulder.

“Alright, we're here.” Itachi Uchiha called out, the [Honchkrow](http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/4/46/430Honchkrow.png) cawing out again before beginning his descent. Despite his hair being tied back in a loose ponytail, the powerful winds soon having a few strands being plucked from their binding. When they finally landed, Itachi dismounted and called the Honchkrow back into its Pokeball before dusting himself down. Then, with a low breath, he stepped forward into his family's gym: ready for the slew of questions that he was sure to be swamped with later that evening.

He would miss this.

* * *

 

Shisui had to head out (something about making an appointment in the seaside Vermillion City), so dinner that evening was a more intimate affair. But then Fugaku's brother Madara had decided to stop by, so he was there to enjoy the meal too.

And what a meal it was: the different sushi made so many vibrant colors, the meat roasting on the small grill built into the table was filling the air with decadent smells. Mikoto had even ordered a large cake topped with fresh, sweet berries from the next city over.

“It's so good to have both of you in the house again.” Mikoto commented, pouring herself some sake, “I'll never stop being proud of you two,” She turned to Itachi, “A research assistant for _the_ Professor Oak...” Then to Sasuke, “And one of the best Pokemon Breeders known to Kanto _and_ Unova.”

Sasuke couldn't help but blush a bit at the praise. He had worked really hard to catch up to his brother's skill and to impress his father. He had even insisted on going to an entirely different region just to give himself more of a challenge, using a different pool of Pokemon so he wouldn't rely on family trends. As much as he was working hard to surpass him, though... Sasuke knew that Itachi was in a league all on his own. And he would always admire his calm, collected, intelligent older brother for that. He looked over at Itachi, watching as he ate...

“Wait a second...” Sasuke stopped eating. He looked around the table, at his parents, his brother, his uncle... “The last time we ate like this was when I left for Unova.”

Itachi didn't look up.

Mikoto frowned a bit.

Fugaku cleared his throat before asking Madara, “Pass the sashimi.”

Sasuke wasn't dissuaded. He set his plate down, now demanding, “Aniki, what's going on?”

“You didn't _tell_ him, Itachi?” Madara asked, “Come now, you know how your baby brother tends to overreact.”

Fugaku chimed in, “Don't antagonize them. We're just having a nice goin- away dinn-- Damn it.”

“WHAT?!” Sasuke shouted, “Aniki, you're _leaving?_ You could have at least _told_ me!” Why hadn't Itachi let him know? Did he not trust him? But they told each other _everything_. They had been doing so ever since Sasuke was old enough to tell his face from his ass. “Where are you going?!”

“Sasuke, _please_!” Mikoto spoke up, “This is one of your brother's last nights in Kanto before his trip. Do you want him to spend it stressed out?”

“No, no.” Itachi finished off his meal. He moved his plate aside and took a low breath. “He's right. Sasuke, I'm sorry that I didn't tell you but Professor Oak wanted me to keep this assignment to a limited few. And I didn't know that you would make it home before I left.”

Sasuke was still pissed, but at least now he knew that Itachi didn't intentionally mean to hurt him. Though, he still wanted to know... “Is it Hoenn again?”

“Oh, _Arceus_ , no.” Itachi shook his head. He had too many bad memories concerning the entire Hoenn region. It would be a few more years before he could look at a map of the region or a Pokemon from it without cringing.

Sasuke tried again. “Sinnoh, then?”

Itachi shook his head.

“Oh, Unova!” Sasuke's lips quirked up in a smile, “If you're going, I can come along with you! I know the region like the back of my hand no--”

“It's not Unova, Sasuke.” Fugaku stated, Sasuke shrugging,

“Alright then, Kalos. Aniki, you've been wanting to go there for a while.”

Madara emptied his glass and began to refill it with the high-end sake Mikoto had picked up for this send-off dinner of sorts. “And it'll be a while longer.” He shook his head, “He's not going to get it, Itachi, stop tormenting him.”

Itachi glared over at his uncle, turning back to Sasuke just in time for him to state, “Then _where_?! They wouldn't send you to Johto or the Orange Islands; we're _right next door_!”

Itachi waited for the air to clear. Then he finally stated, “Alola.”

“A-who-a?” Sasuke asked, confusion plastered all over his face. “Look, aniki, if you don't want to tell me, fine. But you don't have to make shit up--”

“Sasuke, language!” Mikoto waved her finger at her youngest son, “Eighteen years-old or just a baby, I will not tolerate that type of tongue at this table.”

“And your brother isn't making anything up.” Fugaku said.

Sasuke still refused to be placated. “There's no such place! In school we were taught about Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, and Kalos. No one _anywhere_ has even breathed a _word_ about any 'Alulu' region.”

“Alola, Sasuke.” Itachi corrected his brother, grabbing what was left from dinner and carrying it over to the side room where four Ninetales and one Zoroark awaited the one who would bring them leftovers.

First was his father's Ninetales, Fuu, then his mother's Ninetales, Saya, his uncle's Ninetales, Hoshi, his own Ninetales, Tsume, and rounding out the group was Shinobi.

The Uchiha clan, from its ancient origins, had always held an intimate bond with the fox Pokemon Vulpix and their evolution, Ninetales. Perhaps it was the grace that the creatures naturally bore, or their elegant ferocity and fire.

No matter the source of the affiliation, it was there. Of course they all trained other Pokemon, but once an Uchiha came of age and received their Vulpix, they were inseparable.

Except, of course, Sasuke who had gone out to Unova and had come back with a more unconventional fox Pokemon.

“Here you go.” Itachi hummed as he split the leftovers between several food dishes, the Pokemon waiting for him to step back before they started eating. “Now then,” He stepped back into the dining room, “Where were we?”

“You're letting yourself be shipped off to some unknown region that no one's ever _heard_ of?!” Sasuke went back into his overly concerned manner.

Madara chimed in, “That's a bit of a misconception, Sasuke.” He leaned back, Fugaku frowning at his lack of manners, “It's been a _long_ while since I've heard anyone mention it, I think I was five the last time... But Alola _is_ a place. It's just...” He trailed off, reaching for his drink. Itachi decided to finish where his uncle had left off.

“The entire region has been in an embargo from the other regions.” Thinking back to the notes that Professor Oak had given him to read over, he added, “Apparently the region didn't do too well with some of the species that were introduced during the colonization days, so they cut ties in order to rebuild.”

Mikoto sighed, “Well, it's no wonder that people would forget about it. It's been so long since anyone has gone there. But...” She smiled, a wistful tone in her voice, “The idea of an untouched tropical paradise... It sounds like a _wonderful_ place to have a second honeymoon.”

“Anyway...” Fugaku interjected, trying to change the subject away from a request that Mikoto was none too shy in asking, “Itachi, why don't you go over how this all came about?”

Sasuke slumped back down in his seat, “Yes, I'm so _curious_.”

Itachi could feel the weight of everyone's gazes on him. So he dipped back into his memories and began...

* * *

 

“Uchiha-senpai?” Itachi looked away from his computer screen and the several pages of studies on regional differences of bird Pokemon he had typed up, to see the face of his research assistant. Tsukuyomi was an earnest kid (even though he was only a year younger than Itachi's 23), his wide eyes hidden behind thick glasses and his pale-from-lack-of-sun skin complimenting his blacker-than-text-font hair.

“Yes Tsukuyomi?” Itachi asked, hitting 'save' in case the lab had another electrical short-out (damn the guys researching Voltorbs next door).

“Oh, u-um...” Tsukuyomi immediately became a bit flustered when Itachi responded to him, full attention on his trembling person. “P-Professor Oak called a few minutes ago. He said that there was something important but,” He leaned in and gave whispered enunciations of the next few syllables, “Con-fi-den-tial he needs to talk to you about.”

Itachi was skeptical. The last time the Professor had asked for his help regarding something confidential, it was helping to decide whether a Magikarp they were handling was a girl or a boy. But it was his job to assist in all matters of research here, so he had no choice.

“Can you proofread what I've typed so far, Tsuki?” Itachi asked as he walked away, Tsukuyomi nodding,

“Of course! I'll have this done and saved in two wags of a [Clefairy](http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/f/f4/035Clefairy.png)'s finger!”

Itachi shook his head. Tsukuyomi was always a bit odd but he was incredibly eager to please, and when he knew about something he _really_ knew about something.

As he walked down the halls of the laboratory, he waved here and said simple hellos there. He eventually arrived at the door to Professor Oak's office, knocking rather than just barging in.

The door opened up, the old professor greeting him. “Ah, Itachi. Come in, come in. There's a lot we have to discuss!”

Itachi stepped in, closing the door behind him. Before he even got to sit down on the simple couch in the room, the professor's assistant Tracy was already setting out drinks and snacks.

“Glad that you could make it, Itachi,” The young man stated, moving one of his sketchbooks out of the way so Itachi could sit down.

Once he was seated, Itachi asked Professor Oak, “Tsukuyomi told me that there was something urgent you needed to speak about?”

“Yes, yes.” Professor Oak turned to Tracy, “Could you please bring the tablet over?”

Itachi waited as the device was handed to the professor. Professor Oak slid through a few tabs before pressing 'play' on the video message he wanted. He handed it to Itachi just before the screen flickered on.

“... hope this thing converts okay...” The voice on-screen said, the camera panning up to reveal the visage of a young man. His skin was bronzed from a mixture of the sun's blessing and his gene pool, and his eyes were obscured by stylish yet gaudy visor shades. “Alola! Professor Oak, it's me: Professor Kukui! Hey, listen...” The man's bright smile dimmed a bit, his tone serious, “I know it's been a while since Alola was opened up for tourists and trade. Hell, I can't even imagine the last time you were able to speak to your family out here.”

Professor Oak frowned.

“But I have good news! Great news in fact, woo!” This Professor Kukui continued, “The Alola Chamber of Commerce has finally deemed the region stable. In other words, we can finally open our bays to the world again!”

“Alola?” Itachi asked, the name foreign to him. Professor Oak silently urged him to keep listening.

“They pretty much came to the conclusion that we have to start off small: a few researchers here, a few artists and entrepreneurs there. But the reason I sent this video to you, and believe me, it was a doozy to get the right proxies for it, was because I figure that we need to introduce the rest of the regions to our tropical corner of the world. I... I need your help.” Kukui removed his shades and scrubbed a hand down his face. “I figure that you have researchers that would want to come and see the fauna of Alola, a tropical paradise chock-full of things to discover, why not make a documentary? We'll provide all accommodations needed and more and whoever you send will be in the more-than-capable hands of my second-in-command Assistant Professor Hoshigaki. Please, Professor... Get back to me as soon as possible.”

“Professor Kukui?” A sweet, timid voice called out from the other side of the room, “I've finished cleaning up the main room.”

“Oh, thanks Lillie.” Kukui called over, the video stopping soon after.

When the tablet turned off, Itachi looked at his employer. “So, what you're asking me to do...”

“You're one of my most talented and level-headed researchers, Itachi.” Professor Oak insisted, “And you can handle yourself in battles. If anyone would do well in this, in researching Alola and creating a documentary that will get the world interested in the region again, it would be you.”

Itachi thought about it. He slotted his fingers together on his lap and bit his lower lip a bit. It would be the opportunity of a lifetime: being one of a very select few to explore a region completely unknown to the majority of the world. But... he had never undergone a completely jump into a different culture. He wanted to visit the elegant, winding roads of the Kalosian countryside but the furthest he had ever gone was Hoenn, which was basically his home region...

Just with more water.

Too much water, if you asked Itachi.

This region was... 'tropical', though? That was already putting him off. Then again... even his younger brother had traveled far away to the land of truth and ideals Unova.

What would it look like if Itachi stayed in his comfort zone all his life?

“Would I be able to bring my Pokemon with me?” Itachi asked, the back of his mind hoping for some kind of anchor; some semblance of home as he traveled to a strange land. Tracy nodded.

“Of course, but... they suggest maybe only one to start off with. Bill is currently working on a means to transfer Pokemon between us and Alola and it will be done any week now...”

“But just to keep things on the easier side,” Professor Oak said, “Perhaps maybe Tsume to begin.”

Itachi felt some of the weight from all of this new information fall from his shoulders. At least he would have someone to keep him grounded. “Alright.” He nodded, repeating himself with more conviction, “Alright, I'll do it.”

* * *

 

He was to leave tomorrow morning. All of the preparations had taken him by storm: building and testing the proper cameras for a purely tropical biome, finding a pilot who would be willing to fly out to a region they weren't familiar with, passports, a new phone, and numerous other dalliances.

It was a wonder that Itachi had found the time to travel home one last time. Luckily, Tsukuyomi was a godsend. Sure, every so often he would gush about how much he's always wanted to visit Alola...

* * *

 

“I've read about it in so many romance novels, Uchiha-senpai! The gorgeous sunsets, the rich decadent food, the strong, rippling bodies of the natives... Um. Did I say that last part out loud?”

“You did indeed, Tsuki.”

* * *

 

… But in the end, he was the one to convince everyone in the laboratory that Itachi should spend his last evening with his family.

Itachi opened the door of the bedroom he had called his sanctuary in his youth. A nice hot bath and a good washing of his hair did wonders for his nerves. His words were confident, his mannerisms calm. But inside he was still terrified. He looked at Tsume, his Ninetales resting on the floor beside his bed: ready to attack any intruder and ready to fend off any nightmare. When Itachi sat down, she picked her head: her ears moving forward and her tails swaying.

“It will be fine.” He reached down to scratch Tsume behind the ears, the Ninetales leaning into the touch, “Everything's going to be fine.”

“Just because you repeat something ad nauseum,” Sasuke said, Itachi jolting in his seat, “Doesn't make it true.”

Itachi shook his head. He hadn't even realized that Sasuke was in his room. But still, he couldn't allow Sasuke to dissuade him. His flight was tomorrow morning, for Arceus's sake.

“Sasuke, I went on my own regional journey when I was 8.” Itachi shook his head, “I don't know why you're so worried.”

The door opened, Sasuke walking in and towel-drying his hair. “Maybe because you've been talking to Shinobi this entire time?”

Itachi groaned, “Honestly?!”

The first Sasuke gave a hungry grin before his form shifted into that of Sasuke's Zoroark, the darker fox slinking away to join Tsume on the floor.

Sasuke wasn't grinning. “Aniki, _please_. I don't think you should go. I just... feel like something's not right.”

His brother was really uneasy about this. Itachi opened up the blankets on his bed and slipped in. However, he kept them open. “Come on.”

Sasuke blushed again, looking away, “Come on, aniki, I'm not a kid anymore.”

“Sasuke, come _on_.” Itachi insisted, patting the empty space next to him. Sasuke rolled his eyes, moving over until Itachi could pull the blankets over both of them. “See? Just like when you were younger.”

“You mean when I was a dumb six year-old who thought there was a [Haunter](http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/6/62/093Haunter.png) in the toilet?”

Itachi couldn't help but chuckle at that. “It was probably just a [Grimer](http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/a/a0/088Grimer.png).”

“Oh,” Sasuke snorted, “Like that's _so_ much better!”

Both brothers chuckled as they laid there in bed, the notion of tomorrow far from their minds. The here and now, especially for two who barely got to see one another, was much more important.

“Will you call me?” Sasuke muttered. “Just so I can know you're safe?”

Itachi hated that he couldn't make a promise regarding that. “I'll call you whenever I get to a phone in Alola that can call Kanto.”

Itachi felt Sasuke flinch. But Sasuke said nothing more, save for when Itachi attempted to get up and turn off the lights.

“Shinobi.” Sasuke called out, “Aniki, don't worry, he'll get it.”

The room was soon drenched in darkness.

* * *

 

When both humans were asleep, Tsume looked at Shinobi, the Zoroark watching her master sleep. “He still thinks you're male?” Tsume asked, Shinobi having to hold back a growl,

“I don't _get it_! Just because I'm not pink and sparkly he keeps insisting that I have to be male?! What do I have to do, rut up against him once a month for him to get the hint?!”

Tsume rolled onto her back, humming as she let the other Pokemon vent. Not loud enough to wake their masters, of course. It was disheartening that, despite being such a good trainer, Sasuke was still so ignorant. Then again, not everyone could be as understanding as Itachi.

* * *

 

They couldn't even see Itachi off at one of the regular terminals since the plane he was taking as a smaller five-passenger number. Thus, Itachi was walking to the lone black plane on the runway just outside of Viridian City, his parents helping him with his bags, Sasuke trying not to bring up his disapproval of the situation, and Tsukuyomi texting Professor Oak to let him know that Itachi was about to fly out.

“Well...” Itachi began when they got to the plane, “I suppose this is it.”

“Do you have everything?” Mikoto asked him. “Camera, phone, snacks for the flight?”

Fugaku shook his head, “Mikoto, you're smothering the boy.” He addressed his son, “No matter where your path takes you, always remember to bring honor to the Uchiha name.”

“Yes Father.” Itachi nodded, turning to Tsukuyomi.

“I'm...” Tsukuyomi pushed up his glasses, “I'm going to go help Bill finish his adjustments to the Pokemon transport system. Since I can't go to Alola yet, I want to make sure that I can help you in anyway I can, Uchiha-senpai!”

Itachi couldn't help but chuckle. “Thank you, my friend.”

Finally he had to say a proper goodbye to his brother. Sasuke was looking away, his cheeks dusted pink. He was determined not to let his upset show on his face.

“It's only a year, otoutou.” Itachi reassured Sasuke. Sasuke took a deep breath, looking up at Itachi.

“One. Year.” He stated, “And the moment I either sense something's wrong or if they start selling tickets to Abuba--”

“Alola.”

“Whatever,” Sasuke waved it off, “I'm flying out there.”

“Of course.” Itachi chuckled, watching the airport crew as they finished loading his suitcases and luggage into the plane. Itachi took one last deep breath of Kanto's sweet, delicate air. He hugged his parents and stole a hug from his brother, who was still trying to act tough, before he finally ascended the steps into the plane.

He quickly set his carry-on bag underneath his seat and buckled himself in; waiting for the inevitable. Despite his best interests, he peeked outside of the window. He could see Sasuke and Tsukuyomi waving at him, but he winced and almost considered leaving the plane when he saw his mother start to sway in a faint, Fugaku keeping her steady.

“... I'll be your pilot on this trip,” The pilot had been talking during Itachi's brief moment of panic and the plane was already beginning to move. “Next stop: the tropical paradise of Alola.”

She would be fine.

They would all be fine.

He... would be fine.

He hoped.

* * *

 

Twelve hours.

It was a twelve-hour flight from Kanto to Alola. Itachi having to let Tsume out of her Pokeball around the six-hour mark after trying and failing to fall asleep.

Looking out of the window offered no respite from his storming mind. The vast, endless reaches of ocean with the occasional island or Wailord breaking the sapphire waves did nothing but give room for the echoes.

'I should have stayed home.'

'Why did I do this?'

'Will I even be able to communicate with these people?'

'Is it too late to turn back?'

Tsume whimpered, resting her head on Itachi's lap. Her master had never been this uneasy about something. But everything was going to be alright... It had to be.

But, finally, the pilot announced, “Alright, we'll be touching down on Mele Mele Island in the Alola region in around ten minutes. Current time 12 o'clock.”

Itachi thanked every deity Pokemon he had learned about in school and then some. He took a look out the window, expecting his first glimpse of sunny shores and clear waters...

Just to be greeted with violet evening skies and dark, cyan seas.

“I guess he meant 12 o'clock midnight.” Itachi sighed, getting Tsume back into her Pokeball and getting ready for the landing.

* * *

 

The very second he had left the plane, Itachi was hit with the outstanding scent of the salted sea and the tropical jungles melding together to assault his senses. He sneezed a few times as the pilot helped get his belongings onto a cart. Once his eyes were watery and his nose stuffed, Itachi was forced to take a handkerchief from his pocket so he could make himself look presentable. Allergies or whatever, it wouldn't do well for him to look like death-warmed-over on his first day here.

“You gonna be okay getting to the pickup area?” The pilot asked Itachi once everything was on the cart. Itachi, his senses slowly becoming used to the sea, the scent of ripening fruit and, oh dear _Lord_ , the humidity, nodded. “Hopefully Professor Kukui told his assistant what time I was due to arrive.” Itachi pushed the cart towards the airport, bracing himself for whatever the universe had in store as the automated doors opened up to allow him inside.

The airport was... nice. It was far more empty than what could have ever been considered normal, though there were still a few locals who seemed to need flights between the islands of the region. Even what few trinket and souvenir stores that there were all boasted some kind of 'under construction' or 'remodeling time' sign. But Itachi wasn't there to dawdle, he was there to study Pokemon and to explore the region.

Rather than ask questions and make himself look like a typical tourist (ie: a target for thieves), Itachi followed the brightly-painted signs until he made his way to the pickup area. A few taxis were there, and one bus. Other than that... Nothing.

“I know that they said Alola didn't have tourists or trade for a while,” Itachi looked around, only seeing the occasional traveler or janitor, “But this is ridiculous.” Itachi looked around for a bench. Despite being cooped up in a plane for 12 hours, the brief time pushing this laden cart around had him pining for a seat again.

He found a wood and steel number, plopping himself down on it with a tired exhale of breath. “Wait...” Itachi pinched the bridge of his nose, “Damn it, Professor Oak didn't give me any contact information in case these two really _did_ forget I was coming today!”

Maybe he really _would_ need to talk to someone. He really didn't want to, though. Maybe he could figure out how to get a pass for the bus from the local who was walking towards him. The... very tall...

Very broad...

Handsome...

Local who was walking towards him.

“Alola ahiahi!” The stranger greeted with a smile on his lips and a bright demeanor that lit a bright path even through the current night. He draped a necklace of bright, tropical flowers around Itachi's neck in what Itachi was sure was some kind of greeting.

“Erm...” Itachi cleared his throat. “Thank you? I mean, hello. I'm trying to find someone I was supposed to...” As he spoke, he couldn't help but be distracted by minor (in reality major) details. For someone like him, someone from Kanto, such rich, dark skin was beyond a rarity. Looking the man over made Itachi want to drink his fill of the sight, more of the decadent view being revealed to him due to this man wearing an off-white lab-coat with nothing save for a pair of loose-fitting pants underneath. “Supposed to meet here.” Itachi finished, his eyes lowering to find that thick thighs did, in fact, save lives. “A Professor... Hoshigaki?”

Itachi was forced to look back up at the man, watching his comb his fingers through dark cobalt shocks of hair. “You can call me Kisame, Mr. Uchiha.”

“Wait, _you_?!” Itachi jumped back five feet, his face falling as his heart began pounding. He had been slobbering and gawking over the man of science and education he was supposed to be teaming up with on his documentary! Or, rather...

 _This_ man was a scientist? A _professor_ , even? He looked far too... wild, too untamed, too...

Well, simply _too_.

“Itachi,” He insisted, bowing as per custom in Kanto, “Will be fine.” As soon as he rose back to a standing position, he found himself wrapped up in a tight bear-hug by this six-foot-seven behemoth. He was surprised that Kisame didn't break anything by the time he let go.

“Welcome to Alola, cousin!” Kisame chuckled, obviously excited. “Sorry, sorry! I'm just really hyped to meet you. Hell, I almost forgot.” He lowered his head, Itachi flushing at how close he was getting.

“Err, could you maybe... Just back away a few steps?” Itachi whispered. But Kisame didn't get much closer. He just needed to be close enough.

“You can take five now, little buddy.”

“Wha..?” Itachi asked. But then he felt the lei begin to shiver where it hung from his shoulders. It even _cooed_ , Itachi feeling very much freaked out then and there. But soon the lei removed itself from his shoulders and floated in front of him, a sweet smiling face peeking at him.

“[Comfey](http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/thumb/c/c9/764Comfey.png/600px-764Comfey.png).” Kisame explained, sending the Comfey away, “Alolans have used them to greet newcomers for years. Little fellow was probably dreaming of the day it could do what it was made for. Anyway, are these all of your bags?”

Itachi watched the Pokemon float away. Damn, he wished he was recording already or taking notes: he had already been exposed to cultural customs and a new Pokemon species. “Yes, this is all of it.”

“Sweet.” Kisame chuckled. Itachi watched as he pulled out a small device from his pocket. “Just hang tight and we'll be out of here in a jiffy.”

As Kisame did... whatever he was doing, Itachi figured that he would get to know the man he was going to be spending a year with.

For science! Yes, yes... for... science.

“So, how old are you?” He asked, Kisame replying,

“26.”

Okay, so he was a bit older than Itachi thought he was. “How long have you been a professor?”

“Well...” Kisame pressed a button, sliding the device back into his pocket, “I was originally going to college for my degree in Pokemon Breeding and Husbandry. But, well...”

Kisame looked up towards the dark, velvet sky. His left hand reached across himself to rest on his right shoulder. “Something happened during my sophomore year that gave me a... new perspective on things.” He turned back to Itachi, his smile back in place, “And then I started studying to be a professor. Cool story, huh?”

“Right...” Itachi replied, not sure what to make of that. However, he did have to ask, “Is there... a car that we should be heading to or anything.” It was fairly late and, even though Kisame apparently had enough energy to light entire cities, Itachi was beginning to feel the beginnings of jet-lag.

Kisame chuckled again, “Just wait a second.”

Itachi's patience was legendary but even _he_ had his limits. He opened his mouth to convey his exhaustion when a quick roar from above stopped him in his tracks. Moments later, a large [Charizard](http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/thumb/7/7e/006Charizard.png/600px-006Charizard.png) landed in front of them. Itachi had to do a double-take because this specimen was twice as large as the Charizard back in Kanto. Also, it had been fitted with some sort of thick, nylon straps.

“There we go.” Kisame nodded as he promptly began to take Itachi's belongings from the cart and latch them onto the buckles and straps on the Charizard's frame.

“Wait, what are you doing?” Itachi asked, concern in his voice. Kisame was quick to explain,

“Charizard here will get your stuff to my house in an island second!” He strapped the last suitcase onto the fire lizard, saying, “Straight to my house, okay?”

The Charizard nodded. It took a few steps away and then, with a flap of its mighty wings, it was in the air.

“Are...” Itachi gulped, “Are you sure that was such a good idea?” He hoped that the question hadn't been phrased in a way to offend his host. But there was a lot of sensitive, fragile film equipment packed in amongst his clothing and other necessities. He couldn't afford any damages and only the gods knew if there could be any replacements found in this tropical habitat.

“Oh, Charizard's fine,” Kisame said just as a new Charizard, just as large as the last with the same straps, landed in front of them. This one had two helmets hanging from one of its straps, one of which Kisame unlatched and handed to Itachi. “Here, put this on.”

Itachi took the helmet. He looked around, trying to find any hint of a motorcycle or an all-terrain vehicle. Maybe _that's_ why Kisame had sent his things on ahead with that Charizard? For lack of room?

Itachi put the helmet on, Kisame beckoning Charizard to lean down. “Let me help you on. The first time is a bit of an experience.”

The first time?

Okay... maybe Kisame was trying to get an Alolan Pokemon used to a stranger? But, if that was the case, why was he strapping Itachi into what seemed like a saddle? No, no it definitely _was_ a saddle.

“Alright, we should be all set.” Kisame hopped onto the Charizard's back in the space in front of Itachi. He didn't seem to bother with the helmet or the nylon straps. “The main thing you're going to want to do is remember that Charizard has your safety in mind first and foremost. Just relax.”

“Just relax for _what_?!” Itachi finally panicked, his mind not wanting to believe that they were about to do what all evidence pointed towards.

Kisame nudged Charizard's side with a soft kick, Charizard taking off with a[ swift flap of those powerful wings.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJY1TomgkBs)

It was at that moment, at that precise marker in time, that Itachi Uchiha tossed every element of being the calm, collected, elegant researcher that he was out the window as he proceeded to scream his head off as the Charizard he was strapped to flew hundreds of feet in the air at extravagant speeds.

Kisame couldn't help the grin that was plastered on his face. Both from the experience of having a foreigner experience Charizard flight for the first time, as well as his own adrenaline and joy from flying.

Despite the terror and shock still surging through him, Itachi _did_ stop screaming. He didn't even bother with the concept of a 'personal bubble' as he clutched his arms around Kisame's stomach for dear life (despite _him_ being the one strapped in and Kisame riding completely bareback).

The wind whipped past his ears, his hair being ripped out of the hair tie holding it. Itachi knew he shouldn't have, but he opened his eyes when he felt their surroundings change.

The vast oceans surrounding the island, connecting it to the other islands of Alola. The moon, full to bursting, was reflected in the serene surface of the sea. Boats were dotted here and there, groups of fishermen tossing out their nets to bring in mounds of fresh fish for that day's catch.

On the shores, people were walking along the beaches and getting drinks and street food at the seaside booths. There were women clad in traditional dress practicing dance in front of one of the larger hotels.

Charizard dipped down, speeding close to the large skyscrapers of the city before it climbed into the air, flapping its wings and surging back into flight. Itachi looked down to see people picking various berries on a produce plantation and even what appeared to be a large academy.

And the _mountains_. Such beautiful testimonies to the raw power of the land.

“Next stop!” Kisame shouted out so his voice could be heard, “Home Sweet Home!”

Itachi watched as the Charizard slowly began to descend towards a bungalow that stood alone on the beach, next to its own little slice of prime oceanview.

When the Charizard landed and Kisame helped to unstrap him, Itachi felt a bit numb.

A lot numb.

He fell onto his ass as soon as he felt land underneath his feet.

It wasn't as if he wasn't used to flying. But on _bird_ Pokemon. And _never_ as fast as they had gone just now.

“Hey, you alright?” Kisame asked.

“If I said 'yes', I would be lying.” Itachi said. Kisame stepped over and offered a hand so Itachi could get back on his feet.

“I'll make sure that your stuff gets inside okay while you get your bearings.” Kisame patted him on the back and walked into the house. Itachi gave a small nod in response, looking out at the ocean. Even in the dead of night, it was beautiful. If you traveled to Vermillion City or Cinnabar back in Kanto, you would see the ocean. But it was... different here. It seemed to pulse with energy, to pull at something deep inside of you.

He closed his eyes and simply listened. Could he hear...

Singing from the sea?

Itachi finally tore himself away from the sea and approached the porch of the bungalow, stepping in to see what had become of his equipment and luggage.

 

Under the ocean waves, blue eyes kept a close look at this stranger until the door blocked off their view.

* * *

 

Itachi hadn't even taken three steps inside before he was accosted by several small forms. “I...” He looked around at all of the Pokemon who were warily looking at him: several of them were small black cats with red markings and stripes all over their bodies, several others were small blue seals with bright pink noses and baby blue fringes around their necks, and the remainder were owlets with feathers of white, green, and beige.

They all called out to him in their various cries, Itachi suddenly at a loss for what to do. He didn't know if these Pokemon were babies, if they were hostile, or if...

“Hoo!” One of the owlets flew over and rested on top of his head.

… They just wanted to investigate the stranger.

Two of the cat Pokemon began nuzzling against his legs and the seals were clapping their tails and flippers, barking up at him.

“Alright guys, come on...” Kisame clapped his hands together, “Go on back to the play area. Our new friend just got off from a very long flight and needs some rest.” As the Pokemon began to bound and flap and slide out of the main area, Kisame pointed to the cats, “[Litten](http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/thumb/0/0e/725Litten.png/600px-725Litten.png), the fire starter of Alola.” The owlets, “[Rowlet](http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/thumb/7/74/722Rowlet.png/600px-722Rowlet.png), the grass starter.” And finally the seals, “[Popplio](http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/thumb/d/d8/728Popplio.png/600px-728Popplio.png), the water starter.”

Well, at least Itachi had names to attach to the new creatures. The Rowlet in his hair hooted again before flapping off to follow the others.

“You seem to have a busy house.” Itachi said, watching the Pokemon play and roughhouse with each other.

Kisame scratched the back of his head, nodding, “Yeah. Part of my job as Assistant Professor is taking care of and providing starter Pokemon for Kahuna Hala.”

Itachi raised an eyebrow. “Kahuna?” The word didn't translate well with what he had studied. Luckily, Kisame was ready to explain.

“Here in Alola, we all live under the guidance and protection of our guardian deities: the Tapu.” Kisame nodded towards the tapestry of gold, lavender, virdian, and rose that hung from the back door. “Those same deities appoint one chosen individual to act as leader for each of the four islands: a kahuna. Here, on Mele Mele, our Kahuna is a really nice guy by the name of Hala. I'll introduce you when you've rested up.”

Yes, rested. That's what Itachi was hoping to do. “Your luggage and equipment is in your room.” Kisame added, knowing that Itachi would start asking soon.

“Wait, I'm staying _here_?” Itachi asked, the situation hitting him like a ton of bricks. Not that he would object to spending some more time in this tropical god's presence, but he couldn't let himself get distracted from his work! “I thought that Professor Kukui would want me in a hotel or something.”

Kisame's bark of laughter got the other Popplio barking as well. “What? No, come on. My home is your home, Itachi. Anything you need, I'll make sure to do everything in my power to get it for you.” He calmed down a bit. “I want you to enjoy Alola, Itachi. Nothing would make me happier than for you to see the beauty that I get to experience every day. Though...” He grinned, “The newest beauty in my house is pretty close to outshining it.”

“The newest beauty?” Itachi repeated, thinking on the comment. He blushed and jerked, not used to such shameless displays of hitting on someone.

A loud yowl and a panicked bark drew the attention of both men to the play area. They rushed over to see the burning remains of what used to be a toy. “Shit!” Kisame hopped the small fence and ripped off his labcoat, using it to smother the flames. “You know, you guys really don't help the whole 'never keep a Litten in the house' thing!”

Itachi couldn't help it, the sight of Kisame finally panicking over something got a laugh out of him. And the full exposure of Kisame's impressive muscles was a nice touch.

He was silent when he saw something interesting, though. On Kisame's right shoulder, the same shoulder he had touched earlier, there was a mark. At first Itachi thought it was a tattoo (Kisame had some tribal ones near his eyes), but this mark was different. It was a crescent moon: blue, almost holding an ethereal glow.

“That's an interesting tattoo.” He commented once the fire had been dealt with.

“Wha..?” Kisame asked, looking down to where Itachi was looking. “O-oh! That. It's, um...” He turned away to toss the charred remains of his labcoat in the trash. “Not a tattoo.”

“That's an interesting birthmark, then.” Itachi changed his approach. However, Kisame quickly wanted to change the subject,

“We can talk about it later. Don't you want to get some rest from your trip? Oh!” He tapped his fist into his open palm, “I know! How about a nice swim before you head to bed? Alolan waters are great for what ails ya!”

Itachi was going to protest. However, he thought for a moment. Maybe it _would_ be good for him to relax.

By himself.

Away from Kisame's overbearing excitement.

“And I'll be sure to set all of your clothes and equipment in your room for your return.” Kisame promised, waving Itachi off as he walked down the hall to the room he was surely talking about.

* * *

 

Dressed in a pair of black swim trunks, Itachi walked along the stretch of beach next to Kisame's house. He tied his hair back with a new tie and allowed himself to decompress, so to speak.

He was finally here. A brand new region. Far from home. It was like he was stepping on virgin soil, on a brand new planet.

He felt it, that sense of wonder, excitement.

He supposed he just needed to be by himself for a bit so his body could remember. Itachi stepped towards the surf, warm waves washing over his feet.

How could he resist?

Itachi stepped into the water until he was covered up to his waist. A brief look to make sure there weren't any predatory Pokemon around and he dived under the waves. He wanted to drink in as much as possible on the breath he had taken. There were [Tentacool](http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/thumb/4/4e/072Tentacool.png/600px-072Tentacool.png), [Magikarp](http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/thumb/0/02/129Magikarp.png/600px-129Magikarp.png), and dozens of vibrant fish swimming through the warm currents. Itachi swam past bright coral and the [Corsola](http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/thumb/f/fc/222Corsola.png/600px-222Corsola.png) helping to maintain it.

But he had overestimated his breath and soon had to surface. As he swam upward, he saw a strange mass above the water but he couldn't pay it much mind. Itachi broke the surface, taking a deep breath of air. He gasped again when he was face to face with a new Pokemon. One who didn't look too impressed to see him if the frown on its pretty face was any indication.

* * *

 

What was _this_?

What had Kisame brought into their home?

It... _He_ was so pale. Had he never seen sunlight in his life?

Honestly, Kisame had a big heart but did he have to share their home with _every_ pathetic creature looking for shelter?

No, no.

It was the Alolan way.

Soon enough, he would be gone.

* * *

 

Itachi tilted his head to get a better look at the new Pokemon. It had a distinctly feminine appearance, almost like a mythical mermaid. Of course, the upper half of its body was that of a white sea lion, a length of lace-like fringes around its neck and a long, flowing blue mane decorated with pearls and starfish. It's pink nose reminded Itachi of the Popplio inside of Kisame's house, but those blue eyes that stared at him lacked the friendliness that they had.

The new Pokemon trilled at him, a musical sound, urging Itachi back to the shore. Hopefully Kisame would have some answers to this creature's presence and how hostile it seemed towards him.

* * *

 

“Kisame?” Itachi asked, still dripping wet from his short swim. Kisame walked out from the kitchen, offering Itachi a towel.

“That was quick. See what I said about Alolan waters?” He grinned. Itachi took the towel but he had to tell him,

“I would have stayed longer. But there's _something_ in the water that doesn't seem to want me there.” As if to give him proof, the Pokemon from the water pulled itself through the back door with another musical cry.

“Bijoux!” Kisame happily walked over to the Pokemon, the creature smiling as Kisame took its hands and spun it around. When they stopped, Itachi saw just how large the Pokemon was: it stood just a few inches shorter than Kisame's shoulder. “Itachi, this is great. I'd like to introduce you to my partner: the lovely [Primarina](http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/thumb/8/89/730Primarina.png/600px-730Primarina.png), Bijoux!”

Bijoux gave a bow but it still was weary of Itachi.

“Bijoux's been with me ever since we were a kid and a Popplio!”

So, Itachi's intuitions were correct. Although, it was amazing how those silly little seals could evolve into something so beautiful. Still...

“She's stunning.” Itachi commented.

Bad move.

Bijoux gave an angry scoff and slid across the room, as far away from Itachi as manageable without going outside.

“What did I do?” Itachi asked, wondering why this Pokemon hated him so much now. Kisame shook his head, a hand resting on his hip

“He.”

“Beg pardon?” Itachi asked.

“Bijoux.” Kisame explained. “My Primarina is _male_ , Itachi. He gets really sensitive when people can't tell the difference.”

“O-oh...” Itachi could this trip becoming ten times as awkward now. But, perhaps, Tsume could mend the burnt bridges a bit. “Excuse me a moment.” He walked to where his carry-on bag was still by the door and pulled out the single Pokeball he had brought with him.

“Hey!” Kisame smiled, “I was hoping you brought a Pokemon with you. You want to bring them out to meet the others? Maybe spread their legs?”

Itachi agreed with the notion and let Tsume out, the Ninetales looking around her new surroundings and sniffing here and there.

“LUNALA'S MOON!!” Kisame shouted, moving Itachi aside so he could inspect Tsume. “Holy shit, you must have the mother of all fevers! Fuck, do I have any ice?! I have to keep you cool until I can get you to a Pokemon Center! How did this happen?!”

“What?!” Itachi stepped next to his Ninetales, Tsume looking uneasy, “She's _always_ like that! Ninetales _is_ a fire-type Pokemon, after all.”

Kisame shook his head. “Ice/fairy. Ninetales are ice/fairy-types, Itachi. I don't know what the deal with yours is.”

Now Itachi was getting upset. “Okay, look. Between your partner Pokemon hating my guts and you overreacting over a perfectly healthy Ninetales, I am suddenly _very_ exhausted.”

“Right.” Kisame sighed, still worried about Tsume. “Well, I let the Pokemon have the run of the house. The kitchen's always open and there are extra sheets and towels in the hallway cabinet...”

* * *

 

Bijoux peeked over when the sound of a Pokeball opening hit his ears. However, he shared his master's shock at the sight of Tsume's _warm_ state. “Lunala's Moon,” Bijoux shook his head, “Not only does your master not have any tact, but he's abusive too! When was the last time you've been to a Pokemon Center?”

Tsume turned towards him. “What are you talking about? I'm prefectly healthy!”

“Like hell!” Bijoux snapped back, “If that's so, where's your icy exterior like _all_ Ninetales have? Oh... Unless...”

Tsume frowned. “I'm from Kanto.”

“Ah, of course.” Bijoux nodded, “You're one of those _fiery_ Ninetales. It all makes sense now. It doesn't change your master being an assuming ass, but still.”

“You know,” Tsume offered with a quirked eybrow, similar to her master's, “It was an honest mistake. You do look fairly--”

“Feminine?” Bijoux asked, folding his arms, “That scarcely means anything. But, I suppose I have kept you here a while. Your master is wanting to get to bed, you should join him. And, again,” Bijoux trilled out, "Welcome to Alola."

* * *

 

Itachi stepped into the room Kisame had set up for him. The other man had actually done a good job: the cases with his film equipment was safely nestled in the roomy closet, his clothes were hung up, some folded into the dresser.

He walked past the desk where his laptop rested, ignoring the wooden plaque that rested on the desk and looked at the bed.

Oh.

Oh no.

This was not going to work.

“Come on, Tsume...” Itachi sighed, removing the blankets so he could place the mattress on the floor. Because the one thing he could not, _would not_ compromise on when it came to traveling was sleeping Kanto-style. He had gotten into an argument with his ex about it when they traveled to Hoenn, he was  _not_ letting up on it now.

Culture-shock be damned.

 


	2. Aloha Alola!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoo, it's been a while since I updated this fic, huh? 
> 
> Well, let's see how Itachi's first day in Alola will be. You could say that he will have a very interesting meeting near the end of it...

 

The Sun rises in the East?

Now, why is that?

Is it so that the Sun can watch over everything? Being at that perfect point between North and South?

I much rather appreciate rising in the South. You see so much more of this world and the beautifully flawed creatures that live in it that way...

* * *

 

The sounds of bird and rodent Pokemon calling and singing outside roused Itachi from his slumber. He sat up in his bed, now closer to the ground, and yawned. He stretched his shoulders and undid the quick braid he had put it in before conking out from jet-lag.

At the sound of her master awakening, Tsume lifted her head and yawned. She stood up on her four paws and waited for Itachi to get up from bed. Itachi got up and padded over to the bedroom window, flinging it open and taking in much-appreciated sunlight.

As he surveyed the way that the sun glittered as it peeked through the branches of trees and sparkled off of the water, Itachi nodded to himself. “I knew this place would be stunning in the daytime.”

Tsume quickly turned towards the door when she heard a soft breathing. Itachi walked over to the door, opening it and allowing the Rowlet that had taken to his hair to roll on in.

“So,” Itachi hummed, kneeling down to pick up the round ball of feathers, “Did you come to be my little wake-up call?”

The Rowlet yawned and ruffled itself up, poofing to twice its size.

“Oh...” Itachi cooed, “If I didn't already have a grumpy Venasaur at home, I would take you in a heartbeat.”

* * *

 

Itachi and Tsume walked through the hallway of the bungalow after a bath and a good brushing. “Kisame?” Itachi called out, wondering where his host was. He looked around as he walked: seeing the house silent, still: the sounds of sleeping Pokemon audible all around. And there, on the couch, was the man of the hour: his Primarina sleeping on top of him. “Kisame, can you wake up please?” What, had the other man gone out partying while Itachi was asleep?

“Whassa..?” Kisame yawned, stretching out and unknowingly rustling Bijoux from sleep, the Primarina frowning and rubbing at one of his eyes. Kisame looked up to see Itachi looming over him. “Oh.” He stood, yawning again, “Did ya need something?”

Itachi sighed, the urge to roll his eyes exceptionally tempting. “I wanted to get a start on recording.” He explained, “And the sun is shining away so I figured we should... get going... Preferably soon?”

He noted the tired look in his host's eyes, reaffirming his theory of Kisame staying up late on some nonsensical venture.

Kisame yawned once more, “Okay... Okay, okie-dokie... Let's, get your cameras and do some recording!”

Bijoux trilled out, moving pulling himself over to block Kisame from going anywhere.

“Come on, Bijoux, don't act up...” Kisame gently pushed Bijoux out of the way. “Let me just... put something on and we can go.”

* * *

 

Itachi decided to get a simple recording camera ready while he waited for Kisame to get ready. He also looked over what he was wearing to deem it just right for any potential climbs or beach antics.

He walked back to the room, still noticing that almost all of the Pokemon were asleep or dozing. Even Bijoux had stretched himself out over the couch again and was whistling in his sleep.

So Itachi resigned himself to wait for his host.

So he waited.

And waited.

Then did half an hour worth of waiting.

“Oh, for the love of...” Itachi walked through to the other end of the house. After finding several doors that led to things like a storage room, another bathroom, a small lab, and a closet, he pushed his way into what had to be Kisame's bedroom.

He stopped in his growing tirade and simply looked around. Kisame had painted this room in a melting gradient of ocean blues and midnight skies. On one end was a cabinet filled with old, worn books, the other end held a desk that was a cluttered mess of papers, disks, and a laptop.

But there, upon the bed that stood in the room's center, was Kisame: the larger man having fallen asleep seemingly in the middle of pulling on a pair of pants.

Itachi stepped closer to the bed and nudged the man. “Kisame, come on. We need to get going.”

* * *

 

“A paradise of bright, shining skies... Of celebrations and warm welcomes...” Itachi narrated as he recorded a bit of the breeze blowing through the nearby trees. “It's hard to believe that such a beautiful place was hidden from the rest of the world until recently, but I, Itachi Uchiha, will be your guide through this lush region.” He moved the camera down, “And maybe you all at home will be motivated to come and experience the fantastic flora and fauna for yourse-- Oh, _COME ON_!”

When Itachi lowered the camera, his line of sight actually landed on Kisame. Who had fallen asleep against one of the trees.

Itachi stormed over, taking Kisame by the front of his open lab coat. He attempted, and failed, to shake him, gritting out, “Would you wake up already?!”

“Huh?” Kisame snorted a bit, looking from side to side as he awoke. “Oh, Itachi... When did we get outside?”

Itachi was a hair away from screaming in frustration. However, the rustling of grass from the left pulled him away.

Out from the high grass crawled what appeared to be a rodent with a mouthful of sharp teeth and a sleek brown body with short yellow fur on its head.

“Hello...” Itachi aimed the camera at the creature, not wanting to miss a chance at recording like he did at the airport.

He watched the Pokemon sniff around, hissing and grunting to itself as it searched for... something. “What are you?” Itachi asked to no one in particular.

But Kisame, as if on autopilot, spoke in a sleepy tone. “[Yungoos](http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/thumb/0/08/734Yungoos.png/600px-734Yungoos.png)... The Loitering Pokemon... Always hungry, really sharp teeth... Average weight 13 pounds...”

Itachi glared at his sleeping host. If he really was asleep, anyway. He couldn't be bothered. Itachi turned back to his recording when he saw that the Yungoos was much, much closer than before. “O-Oh!” He gulped. But, really, it was just a rodent Pokemon, probably only just a baby, what harm could it possibly do.

The Yungoos sniffed at one of Itachi's feet, intrigued by the smell of something foreign. Welp, the best way to figure out what the cause of this smell was was to eat it, so...

The Yungoos opened its mouth and sank its sharp teeth into Itachi's foot, right through his boots.

“What the hell?!” Itachi jerked in sudden pain, falling over. He screamed as he tried to pull the Pokemon off but the Yungoos simply bit down harder. And how the hell was Kisame sleeping through all of this commotion?!

“Tsume!” Itachi tossed out Tsume's Pokeball and called her out, the Ninetales crying out in panic as she saw her master being attacked. “GET IT OFF!” Tsume rushed forward, biting onto the Yungoos's tail and trying to pull it away. It was to no avail.

Kisame's eyes cracked open and he yawned before looking at the scene in front of him. He slowly walked over, rummaging through his bag for something until he pulled out a shiny brown heart-shaped piece of fruit.

Immediately drawn by the sight of something tastier than a boot, the Yungoos let go and charged for Kisame. Kisame didn't waste anytime and tossed the fruit far away into a collection of bushes. The Yungoos ran after it, clearly done with the two humans when there was actual food to be found.

“Shit!” Itachi winced as he tried to feel just how much damage his foot had substained. Tsume whimpered, looking up at Kisame as he knelt close. Itachi was about to shout at him for not helping sooner but, to his dismay...

“How are you still sleeping?!”

Indeed, Kisame was seemingly going on auto-pilot: removing Itachi's boot and sock, spraying the bloody skin down with disinfectant, wrapping his foot in bandages, replacing the boot and finally walking back to the tree he was leaning against and sinking back into slumber.

* * *

 

“Okay, so!” Itachi spoke into the camera once he had dragged Kisame down the nearest route, determined to find something worth recording. It had taken a few hours for his foot to stop screaming at him in pain so this was probably going to be the last chance of recording he could get today. “Aside from that earlier bit of happenstance, Alola is bound to have a beautiful collection of flora and fauna that are bound to welcome us with open arms and...”

Out from the boughs of a palm tree flew a small bird. It's wings were white, black, and red and it looked around itself with wide blue eyes.

“...Wings.” Itachi commented, turning the camera towards the small Pokemon and moving closer. Tsume was still hesitant, not wanting to see her master hurt again.

And Kisame... “[Pikipek](http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/thumb/1/15/731Pikipek.png/600px-731Pikipek.png)...” He said between snores, “Average weight... 2 pounds... Not good... with strangers...”

Of course, Kisame was sleeping a while's away from where Itachi was recording so the younger man didn't hear that little tidbit.

“Okay little one...” Itachi whispered, recording the Pikipek hop and flit about. It pecked its small beak through this and that, about to fly off when it noticed the stranger watching it. Truth be told, it panicked and resorted to its first line of offense. It flew up to eye level and began incessantly pecking Itachi in the head. “Ow! What are you doing?! Stop it!”

* * *

 

It wasn't until Kisame drowsily stepped in (again) and gave the Pikipek one of the fruits from his bag that the small bird finally flew off.

“Okay!” Itachi groaned out, “Between my foot still bleeding into my boot and the migraine that's building up, I think that we are good for today!!”

* * *

 

When they walked into Kisame's house, Kisame fell down onto the loveseat: dozing off immediately. Itachi looked to Tsume and told her, “I'm going to take a bath and then I'm going to bed. Stay here for a moment, alright?”

Tsume yipped up at Itachi before he left. Just in time too; Bijoux slid into the main room via the back door with a bowl fruit and fish that he had retrieved for himself. “Oh, you're back.” He trilled out, setting the bowl on the coffee table. “I'd imagine that you're hungry, and it's about time for breakfast anyway.”

“What are you talking about?” Tsume padded over, “It's almost sundown.”

Bijoux picked up a piece of fruit and bit into it. “Of course it is... And that means its time for us to get up. Get with the program, dear.”

* * *

 

Itachi had been thankful to find some aspirin in the bathroom cabinet after getting cleaned up. So he was hoping to get some sleep and start anew tomorrow morning. Maybe Kisame would be more helpful then. Arceus, he could only hope. His eyelids had lowered down, his breathing evened out. He was just at the edge of slumber –

The door burst open, Kisame peeking in and loudly announcing, “Come on! Time to go to record some Pokemon! Let’s go, up and at ‘em, we’re wasting moonlight!” When the door cracked against the wall, Itachi shot out of his bed (the same bed that he had had to practically disassemble to make comfortable). With his heart pounding at a mile a minute, he looked outside just to see that, indeed, it was still dark.

“What are you _doing_?” He snapped out, the harsh tone melting into a yawn, “It’s the middle of the night!” Kisame blinked, folding his arms.

“Um… Yeah. So, anyway, grab your camera and let’s go!” He did do a long look around the room, particularly the demolished bed. “Huh. Wish you had told me that you needed help with that, but, okay.”

“Kisame, I’m not going anywhere when most people are still asleep.” Itachi shook his head, though he did notice that he wasn’t _as_ tired as someone who had woken up in the middle of the night should be. It took Kisame a second before he nodded,

“Right… You’re still working on Kanto time.”

“Beg pardon?” Itachi asked, Kisame going on to explain,

“Here in Alola, we all rely on the influence of the legendary ones…” He pointed to the wooden plaque on the nearby desk: the intricately carved lines and edges presenting a scene of a great, empirical lion with its sharp claws primed for battle and an elegant, extraordinary bat with golden wings. “Solgaleo, the Beast Who Devours the Sun, controls the day and its influences. Lunala, Emissary of the Moon, controls the night. They both reign over one half of Alola, though they’ll sometimes move into each other’s territory. Basically,” He stood and walked to the window, “Alolans have had to adjust to nighttime coming in the day one week or daytime replacing night for a few days. That’s why we go by clocks rather than what the sky is looking like.” There was a knock at the door, Kisame leaving the room to go see who it was. Itachi decided to follow, wanting more of an explanation.

Kisame opened the door, a mailman beaming as he dropped off the parcels and letters for the day. “Looking like a cool night tonight, ah?” The mailman commented, Kisame chuckling,

“And a really nice half moon too. Hey, you want a cup of coffee?”

The mailman shook his head, “Nah, got to get the rest of this mail out before lunch. I’ll take you up on your offer next time.”

Kisame waved the mailman off, “Mahalo!” Before stepping back inside with the parcels and letters in hand. When he stepped back in, he saw Itachi being surrounded by excitable baby Pokemon: a Rowlet on his shoulder, a Popplio hopping near his feet, and a Litten trying to climb up his legs to be held.

“Your region is so confusing…” Itachi commented with a chuckle, smiling despite himself as Rowlet nuzzled against his cheek.

“Hm.” Kisame folded his arms, thinking for a minute. He snapped his fingers, “I got it! Yeah, Hapu could help!”

“Hapu?” Itachi asked, “Are they a friend of yours?”

“Something like that.” Kisame hummed, “Yeah... Yeah, last time I talked to Kukui he said she was stopping by to pick up some berries from the plantation. We should be able toc atch up to her later before she leaves!” He picked Litten up, “I guess we should eat something before we go. And you’ll want to make sure everyone here is fed before we leave, right?”

Kisame agreed, “Yeah. Samehada will be stopping by later to do some examination work for his Pokemon Care class, so I don’t have to worry too much on check ups. But food is a must.” He gave a sharp whistle, every other Pokemon in the house peeking out from wherever they were, “Come on, time for breakfast!”

Even with Kisame explaining how days and nights, how time worked in Alola, for Itachi, hearing 'breakfast’ while the world was still dark and the moon was heavy in the sky, was still more than a little odd.

* * *

 

Later turned out to be several hours later (Itachi thankfully taking the time to doze off so he would be a bit more agreeable).

Itachi sat down at the kitchen table, yawning and failing terribly to hide it.

“Here you go.”

He looked up just in time to see Kisame set a cup of coffee in front of him. “You a milk and sugar person?” Kisame asked, walking to the fridge.

“Just a little bit of both.” Itachi didn't want to seem too much like the sugar-junkie that he actually was, so he opted for something a bit moderate.

Kisame added a small amount of each to the steaming cup before placing the two on either side of his guest. “Just in case.” He winked before walking out to the main room.

The moment, the _very_ moment Kisame left, Itachi took the sugar and added several heaping teaspoons to it, stirring quickly to hide his tracks. He took a sip, licking his lips at how, even with the milk and the copious amounts of sugar, the spicy, fruity tones of the coffee still shined through.

“Hey!”

“Ah, there he is! Get over here, cousin!” Itachi took another drink of coffee, taking the mug with him and walking to the main room. He peeked his head around the corner and saw Kisame watching a young man (a few years younger than him) roll on the ground with all of the baby Pokemon in the house.

The young man had a build similar to Kisame's, tribal tattoos running around his right bicep, and the same skin-tone. The main difference aside was his dark blue, almost black, hair being plaited down against his head.

“You guys missed me?” The stranger asked, laughing as two Litten pawed over and began licking his face, “Hey! Come on, that tickles!” He looked up to see Itachi walk in, blinking up at him. “Whoa... You're really pretty...”

Itachi was quick to take a drink of his coffee, hoping the mug covered enough of his face. What was it with this region and having no shortage of attractive men to compliment him?

Kisame helped the young man up, introducing him, “Itachi, this is my cousin Samehada.”

Samehada stood up, letting the Litten crawl onto his shoulders as he greeted Itachi, “Welcome to Alola. Glad to have ya.”

“Thank you.” Itachi bowed, Tsume padding over and doing the same.

“Holy--” Samehada blinked, his mouth agape, “Is that a _Ninetales_? Wha...” He walked around the elegant Pokemon, in awe at its warm appearance, “What kind of breeding did you have to do to get it to be a _Fire_ type?”

“Hey,” Kisame slapped his cousin on the back, “Did you bring it?”

Samehada tilted his head, “Bring what..? Oh!”

As the student reached into his bag and rummaged around, Itachi asked, “Is there something I should know about?”

His answer came in the form of a simple black box: a carrying case as tall as a man's hand and as wide as a hearty lunchbox.

Itachi took the item that was offered to him, Samehada explaining, “It's a Refresh case! In Alola we're always working, running around, on the waters or in the jungles. So finding time to get to a Pokemon Center doesn't always come easy, ya know?”

Kisame chimed in, “It has everything you need to tend to poisonings, paralysis, burns, several potions, _and_...” He opened one of the larger compartments to reveal a row of those heart-shaped fruits from earlier. “Beans!”

“Beans?” Itachi asked, taking one of the fruits out.

Samehada nodded, “Pokemon love 'em! Here, try giving one to your Ninetales.”

Itachi pursed his lips and hesitated before holding the fruit in front of Tsume. She sniffed at it and finally took a bite. Her eyes went wide and she let out a happy cry before quickly snapping up the rest of it. “I guess you like it then.”

“Humans can eat them too,” Kisame explained, “But we have to cook them first. Alright,” He pushed Samehada towards the baby Pokemon, “Get to work so I can sign off your hours for the day.”

Samehada nodded, “Right, right.”

Kisame gently tugged Itachi along to the couch: sitting down and beckoning for Itachi to sit next to him. “I have to watch him for a bit an then we can head to town.”

Itachi couldn't really find anything wrong with that arrangement. He sat down just as Samehada pulled a Pokeball from his belt and called out, “Let's go, Kalea!” The Pokeball burst open in a flash of light, a large black and red tiger landing and standing on its hind-legs. It's whiskers were thick and bright red and, around its waist, a loop of fire rested like a wrestler's belt. It looked fearsome with its mischievous eyes and powerful claws, but the Pokemon looked around the room: sniffing before seeing Tsume.

* * *

 

“Me-ow~!” Kalea growled, strolling over to Tsume. She flexed before pointing at the Ninetales, “Hey, you're a pretty creature I haven't seen before!”

“Stop that.” Bijoux warned, nodding his head towards Samehada, “Go help your Master already.”

Kalea pouted, slinking over to where Samehada was: taking the apron her Master gave her. When the other Pokemon was gone, Primarina settled down next to Tsume. “She's _obsessed_ with 'princess-type' Pokemon.”

“I... see.”

* * *

 

Itachi felt admittedly nostalgic, watching Samehada work with the baby Pokemon: checking for abnormalities, taking notes on weight, checking breathing. It reminded him of his first few years working for Professor Oak.

“Hold on, buddy...” Samehada whispered, trying to keep a Litten calm as he took a blood sample. “Almost there... Good!” The Litten immediately reclaimed its paw, licking at the spot where Samehada had used the small syringe.

“Check the feathers on the Rowlet.” Kisame reminded, Samehada nodding. He carefully extended the wings on each Rowlet, checking their feathers to make sure that nothing was growing in awkwardly. “Kalea, hand me those tweezers.” The [Incineroar](http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/thumb/2/27/727Incineroar.png/600px-727Incineroar.png) did as such, Samehada carefully pulling out a few barbs that had gotten buried in one of the Rowlet's wings. “Okay.” He nodded to himself, “I think we're good.”

Kisame got up and walked around all of the baby Pokemon, examining Samehada's work. “Okay.” He nodded, “Okay, I think we're good for today.” He signed off on Samehada's form in three places and scribbled something in the comments box before handing it back.

“Mahalo!” Samehada gave a small salute, turning to Kalea, “Come on, let's see if Ilima is up for a battle today!”

Kalea growled, jogging after her master... not before winking in Tsume's direction. When Samehada was gone, Kisame stated, “Time to head into town.”

They decided to leave their Pokemon in the house, Kisame insisting that the trip wouldn't take too long.

“That boy needs to get married.” Kisame shrugged once they were outside, “I keep telling him to go out but he keeps burying himself in his studies or wandering.”

“And what about you?” Itachi asked, “Are you currently seeing anyone?”

Kisame shook his head. “No, no...” He looked to Itachi, his smile soft, “But I am working on it.”

* * *

 

Hau'Oli City wasn't too far away by foot. “Welcome to my stomping grounds.” Kisame waved towards the bustling beachfront city of shops, higher-end housing, and small fields of grass.

Itachi didn't need to be told to bring out his camera and start recording. Kisame chuckled, walking ahead of Itachi. “Hau'Oli City was initially built around the idea of having a welcoming hub for travelers and merchants. When the embargo happened, we found ourselves without an immediate need for it. We still kept it, sure, but a lot more houses were built in to fill up space.”

“Alola!” Itachi turned the camera to see an older woman waving from in front of what looked to be a shop with a happy-looking Slurpuff painted on the front. “Kisame!” She smiled, “I almost thought something had happened to you! You haven't come by for your daily Malasadas!”

“Ah, sorry about that.” Kisame scratched the back of his head, a sheepish grin on his face, “I've been a bit busy.”

She turned to Itachi before smiling and waving them towards her shop, “Come on in, come on in! Welcome!”

Itachi looked to Kisame, the larger man nodding towards the shop. They walked in, a delectable aroma of fried sugar and fruit hitting Itachi like a truck.

Itachi moved the camera around slowly, catching human and Pokemon alike sitting around and enjoying the delicacies that the bakery offered.

“You gotta try some of my best Malasada!” The older woman offered, placing some of the fresh, still-steaming fried pastries in a box and placing them on the counter.

“Mahalo,” Kisame pulled out his wallet, “How much do I--”

The woman shook her head, “You have a guest, Kisame. On the house, go on!”

* * *

 

The two men left the bakery, Kisame opening the box and handing Itachi one of the Malasada. “Trust me, you're going to love it.”

Itachi noted the heft of the fried pastry, “What is in this thing?”

“Hm?” Kisame blinked, already tearing into one of the sweets. “Hm, that's probably a vanilla cream one.”

Itachi shrugged, deciding that it would probably be better for him to just try it and get it over with. “Oh, here!” Kisame took the camera so he could record Itachi's reaction. However, before he urged him on, he whistled, “Damn, you look good on camera.”

“Kisame...” Itachi shook his head, “I'm probably going to have to edit that out.” Enough was enough, though. Itachi took a bite of the warm pastry, the sugary dough giving way to the creamy, decadent filling.

He waited a moment. He needed a moment.

“This is probably one of the best things I've tasted in my entire life.”

“Right?” Kisame said, “The best part is that Pokemon can eat these too, so we'll save them for Bijoux and Tsume when we get back.”

* * *

 

They walked around for a bit, Kisame pointing out interesting spots and Itachi recording (and appreciating the lack of something attacking him) whatever popped up. The sound of heavy hoofbeats went almost unnoticed.

At least until Itachi felt a moist breath on the back of his neck. Itachi turned around to see a large, muddy horse looking down at him.

The behemoth of a horse Pokemon bellowed out, knocking Itachi over with the sheer volume of its cry. With his main focus being on saving the camera, Itachi fell right onto his rump without being able to brace himself.

“That!” He seethed, “Is going to hurt tomorrow. I just know it.”

Kisame helped him up before calling out, “Hey! Hey, Hapu! How's the weather up there?”

“Hmph,” The rider on the large Pokemon chuckled, “Always the comedian, ain't ya? Hold on a second...”

Now, Itachi was expecting... A woman in her forties or fifties: tall, strong, a voice raspy from a lifetime of cigarettes and long nights on a dusty trail. The woman who hopped down from the Mudsdale's back had that voice... But she was exceptionally short, but her full-body tan jumpsuit couldn't hide the well-earned strength of her small frame. Lavender gloved hands reached up to adjust the purple bandana that she was wearing on her head, two massive black braids trailing behind her.

She looked up at Itachi with wide grey eyes before nodding, “I reckon you must be our guest from Kanto. I'm [Hapu](http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/thumb/2/2a/Sun_Moon_Hapu.png/333px-Sun_Moon_Hapu.png), a pleasure.”

Itachi bowed a bit. “I... Erm... Thank you. I mean, it's a pleasure to meet you too.” To be completely frank, Itachi was still unnerved by the sheer size of the Pokemon who seemed to be glaring him down.

“[Mudsdale](http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/thumb/f/f7/750Mudsdale.png/600px-750Mudsdale.png),” He shook his head to see Kisame patting the large Pokemon's side, “Beautiful, strong... Average weight 2,028 pounds.” Mudsdale seemed to preen from the praise, kicking one of its mud-caked hooves against the ground.

“It weighs a _TON_?!” Itachi gawked at the Mudsdale and then looked at its teeny-tiny trainer. “How do you do it?”

Hapu placed her hands on her hips and chuckled, “Well, the thing with big guys is that ya have to know how to get through to them. Even with all of their size and bulk, a lot of them just really like their hair brushed, pretty words, and junk food.” Hapu patted down the knees of her jumpsuit. “At least that's what I know works for big guys like Kisame over here. Reckon that Mudsdale are a bit more finicky.”

“Hey now!” Kisame pouted a bit, “Come on, Hapu, I didn't ask you here to embarrass me in front of our attractive, esteemed guest.”

“Speaking of _embarassing_!” Itachi sputtered out, his face flushing angrily from being complimented so brazenly in public. “Hapu, please... Kisame said you had a tea that would help with my sleep pattern while I'm here in Alola?”

Hapu nodded. She reached into her purple satchel bag and pulled out a small pouch. “Made from the stray spores from Shiinotic and Purple Nectar from Poni Island, where I live.” When Itachi took it, Hapu added, “Brew and drink one cup tonight and one cup tomorrow morning, _actual_ morning, and you'll be all set.”

The small pouch felt lighter than air as it rested in Itachi's hands. “Thank you, Hapu. If there's anything I can do to repay you, I--”

Hapu lifted a hand to stop him. “Just, whenever you get around to visiting Poni Island, be sure to stop by my house. My neck of Alola, well, it isn't much but you'll still like it.”

“I will.” Itachi nodded.

* * *

 

The wee hours of the early morning found everyone asleep in Kisame's house. Even with all of the Pokemon inside and around the bungalow, no one was conscious to notice what was going on outside...

There had been a windstorm. A terrible fluster of rapid winds that had blown him far, _far_ away from his course back to his native island. His wings, gossamer and delicate, had been unable to fight against the savage storm that flung him into the sea.

When he finally washed up, he awoke to a foreign shore. It was still Alola, but it was... strange. As his wings were still water-logged and, he winced as he checked them, injured, all he could do was walk around until he found another Pokemon to help.

He would find some Pokemon. However, they were far less than friendly about a stranger coming in on their territory.

* * *

 

“Hey, buddy!” One of the bright yellow birds with their wings fluffed up like a cheerleader's pompoms angrily chirped upon seeing something _off,_ “You're pretty far from your neck of things, aren't ya?”

The newcomer was also a bird and you could see the similarities between him and his accosters. However, centuries of evolution spread across four islands had made sure that the differences in the gene pool were more than noticeable. Whereas the birds in greater number were perky, poofy, and yellow, the castaway was purple, sleek, demure, his wings shaped like the fans of an elegant dancer amongst the cherry blossoms.

“Please...” He tweeted, wincing at the shock of pain his wings gave him, “I just... I just need to get back to my island and my family.”

The yellow birds tweeted angrily, flapping their poofy wings as they hopped and jumped in a formation not dissimilar to human cheerleaders. However, unlike human cheerleaders, this dance was resulting in shocks of electricity growing from the birds.

The castaway braced himself. He probably wasn't going to survive this.

Alas, best for a ghost to be sent back to the underworld on a bright note.

* * *

 

This. This was nice. Itachi was enjoying being able to sleep during a time that was normal. He rolled over onto his mattress, pulling the sheets closer to himself. The sharp crack of an electric shock ripped him from the embrace of sleep, Itachi shooting up in bed.

“Kisame?!” He called out, jumping out of bed. He didn't even wait for Tsume to catch up or for Kisame to meet up with him before he made it outside.

He gasped in horror as he saw what appeared to be a purple bird Pokemon collapsing onto the ground after being struck with several powerful electric shocks. He didn't know what it was, but he could tell that it wasn't going to make it through another attack.

When the flock of yellow bird Pokemon came, their puffy wings crackling with electricity, Itachi rushed over to the injured bird. He lifted it up into the safe haven of his arms and rushed back to the porch.

“Crap...” He whispered when the other birds were still coming. He was glad that he could feel a heartbeat coming from the creature in his hands, but it was woefully faint.

A chorus of chirps pulled his attention back towards the presence of the overwhelming threat that was awaiting both of them. The yellow birds flocked towards them.

Itachi braced himself for the worst.

“Oi, oi!”

Itachi turned to see Kisame step through the front door and walk over to the group of angry yellow balls of feathers as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

The birds let themselves land on the ground, immediately looking a bit sheepish at their actions. “Now, come on,” Kisame sighed, bending down so he could get a good look at all of them, “All of you know that you should be with the other Oricorio on the other end of MeleMele. What are you guys doing here making trouble?”

One of the Oricorio chirped excitedly, pointing a puffy wing in the direction of the Oricorio in Itachi's arms. Kisame glanced back for a second before sighing, “Look, you guys just... fly on back to your field and I promise you I'll take care of it. Okay? No one's trying to invade your territory.”

The yellow Oricorio seemed skeptical at first. However, they soon all proceeded to fly off: the air around Kisame's house finally calming down. When he was sure they were all gone, Kisame turned to Itachi. “How is he?”

Itachi shook his head, all thoughts of recording or studies pushed aside with the weak creature in his arms barely breathing; even the most minute movement it made seemed to cause it pain. “It's a Flying type, right? That's why the attacks of those other Pokemon were so critical. It can hardly even breathe...”

“Hold on a sec.” Kisame stepped away to bring over the large Refresh case he had brought out. “It took me a while to come out after hearing the first electric shock, since I had to get this ready. Can you keep holding him?”

Itachi nodded, watching as Kisame retrieved several items from the kit: a bottle of medicine, some cotton balls, tweezers, and ointment.

“Alright buddy,” Kisame whispered, his eyes focused on the ailing Oricorio, “Just hang in there a little longer. Let's see if I can get you back up to snuff.”

Itachi watched on, wanting to help somehow rather than just holding the bird Pokemon as Kisame eased the small nozzle of the medicine into his beak and eased some down his throat. Next, he picked up one of the cotton balls and dipped it into the ointment. “It looks like Paralysis. And I'm not liking the sight of his wings. Fuck, those other Oricorio _really_ had it out for ya, huh buddy?”

Even in a situation like this, Kisame was trying to stay as jovial as ever. It was a good thing, too, because as soon as the drenched cotton touched one of the Oricorio's wounds, he cried out in pain: the claws on the ends of his feet kicking and scratching. Itachi barked out in pain as one kick had the claws cutting through his shirt and scratching his chest.

“Hey, you okay?!” Kisame asked, stopping his work.

Itachi nodded, wincing, “I'll take care of it later; finish up with him.”

Kisame did just that: quickly administering the ointment onto any area that needed it and bandaging the Oricorio's wings.

“There!” By the time Kisame finished, Bijoux and Tsume had wandered outside: both Pokemon going to their masters to see what the commotion was about. Upon seeing the scratch on Itachi's chest, Tsume immediately began growling up at the Pokemon in Itachi's arms.

“No, Tsume, it's fine.” Itachi tried his best to reassure her, but he could tell that she wasn't persuaded.

Kisame replaced the items he had used and got out some peroxide and bandages. “Alright, you can set him down while I take care of those scratches.”

Itachi opted to do just that: slowly setting Oricorio down. But right before its claws met the ground, Oricorio began panicking and chirping: flapping his bandaged wings.

Itachi lifted him back up, looking at Kisame: his expression perplexed. He then tried to hand him over to Kisame, but that simply resulted in the same action.

Itachi looked at the bird Pokemon and weighed his options. Obviously he couldn't have the poor thing potentially making his injuries worse, but he couldn't just sit around and cradle it all day. He nodded to himself before helping Oricorio onto his shoulder, the Pokemon immediately making himself at home.

“Wow...” Kisame whistled, dabbing some peroxide onto a cotton ball, “I've never seen an Oricorio take to someone so fast.”

Itachi didn't feel inclined to agree with that. “He's just responding like that because I helped him out. I'm certain that once he heals up, he'll be on his way.” Kisame knelt down to begin checking Itachi's scratches.

“Whatever you say...” He hummed, a knowing smile on his lips.

* * *

 

“You hurt my master!” Tsume growled at the Oricorio, not appreciating how this strange Pokemon who had attacked her master was know being permitted to be so close to him.

“It wasn't on purpose, I assure you!” The Oricorio chirped back, turning so he could speak to the other two while the humans conversed. “Please... I'm lost, I'm injured. I just want to make it back to my home without being attacked again.”

Bijoux pulled himself over, skeptical. “You and the other Sensu Oricorio live on Poni Island. How did you end up all the way here on MeleMele?”

The Oricorio gave a low coo, “I was trying to find food, and then something... Something dark blew me off course. And then the storm. I was... lucky to make it to this island's shore at all.”

Tsume still didn't like the small Pokemon, but as long as it was on her Master's shoulder, she couldn't do anything about it.

* * *

 

“Earlier...” Itachi began as he held a purple Bean up for Oricorio to peck at, “You said that this Pokemon was an Oricorio. But you called those yellow ones Oricorio as well.”

Kisame nodded, standing up and walking over to the bookcase in the main room. He retrieved a sketchbook and flipped through a few pages until he found what he was looking for.

“Oricorio come in four different variations based on the nectar found on the island of their birth. There's the Baile Style, known for their passion and fiery instincts,” He explained as he pointed to the sketch of an Oricorio with [long red wings with black fringes](http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/thumb/e/ed/741Oricorio-Baile.png/600px-741Oricorio-Baile.png). “Then there's Pom-Pom Style, [those exciteable yellow ones](http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/thumb/6/6d/741Oricorio-Pom-Pom.png/600px-741Oricorio-Pom-Pom.png) from earlier today. Then there's Pau Style, [they're a bit heavier](http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/thumb/5/50/741Oricorio-Pa%27u.png/600px-741Oricorio-Pa%27u.png) than the others,” He pointed to a sketch of a chubby pink bird with lighter pink feathers around its waist and on its head like a crown. “And finally,” Kisame closed the book, looking to the Oricorio who had made it to the halfway point of the bean Itachi was feeding him, “[Sensu Style](http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/thumb/1/1c/741Oricorio-Sensu.png/600px-741Oricorio-Sensu.png): the dancers of the dead.”

Upon hearing the formal name of the Pokemon beside him, Itachi felt a rush of nostalgia pour into him. He was so silent that Kisame had to ask, “You okay? Is that scratch bothering you again? I can get you some pain-killers or something!”

Itachi shook his head. “Sensu. It's one of the Kanto words for 'Fan'. It's actually interesting since fans are a...” He chuckled, “Very important symbol for my family.”

Kisame laid himself out on the couch, “Tell me about your family?”

Itachi hummed, letting Oricorio make a nest in his lap once he was done eating. “My parents own a gym, though my mother used to be a Contest trainer. And my younger brother is a Pokemon Breeder. What about your family?” He turned to Kisame, the other man looking up at the ceiling: his expression far calmer than Itachi had known it could be.

“It's been just me and my mom for a good while now. Dad died when I was about ten.”

Well, that had been a bust. “I'm... I'm sorry.”

Kisame shook his head, “You didn't know, it's okay. But, anyway, yeah... How is Kanto?”

“A lot different,” Itachi chuckled, “Everything seems... smaller. More compact. Where I was born, in particular, is known for flowers and trees. But nothing like what you have here.”

“Trust you me,” Kisame folded his arms behind his head, “You haven't seen anything yet.”

* * *

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave feedback if you feel like. Thanks for reading loves!
> 
> \- Grandma

**Author's Note:**

> It begins~! No but, in all honesty, I'm so excited for this story and I hope that you all will keep along with the journey. Hell, even if you're not the biggest fan of Pokemon, I hope this story will still be enjoyable enough to keep up with (there was a One Punch Man story that was a full-on crossover with Skyrim and the author did such a good job of it that it didn't matter that the only thing I knew concerning that franchise was 'Fus Ro Dah').
> 
> And, like I said in the tags, the 'Slow Burn' isn't anywhere near as slow as it was in Rapacious, so you guys won't have long to wait for KisaIta times. Just think of it as... a journey in exploring different cultures. 
> 
> Oh, I should make this little guide known: 
> 
> In the canon of Pokemon, there are now seven regions and they are all inspired by real-life areas as thus: 
> 
> Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh - Various regions of Japan  
> Unova - The United States  
> Kalos - France  
> Alola - Hawaii and the Pacific Islands
> 
> So that's where a bit of the culture shock is going to come in.


End file.
